County To Consider Quickacting Charterreview Panel

A 21-member team would be given less than six months to review Miami-Dade County’s charter under a resolution the county commission is to vote on Tuesday.

The charter-review panel would include one appointee of each commissioner and the mayor plus an elected official from each of the county’s four largest cities and three more members selected by the League of Cities to represent smaller cities.

The proposal trumps a far different plan by Commissioner Katy Sorenson that failed to make it out of the commission’s Government Operations and Environment Committee last week. Her failed proposal for a 12-member task force would have included no elected officials.

The charter — the county equivalent of a constitution — dictates the structure, powers and functions of most elements of county government. A review is expected to focus intensely on the respective powers of the mayor and the commission following the recent change to a strong-mayor form of government.

Charter change proposals would have to pass through the commission to the ballot. Voters would have the final say.

A charter commission could alter the balance of power between the commission and Mayor Carlos Alvarez, which have a cool relationship.

Indeed, a companion measure up for consideration Tuesday — like the charter review sponsored by Jose "Pepe" Diaz — would direct the charter task force to review whether the property appraiser, tax collector, sheriff and supervisor of elections shall be elected positions subject to recall by voters. All now are appointed and can be removed by the mayor alone.